The Hunted
by MitsukaiMizuno
Summary: All he's ever wanted was the power to protect those he loves. All she's ever wanted was to love someone to protect them with her power. They discover that what they want, has been before them all along. IchixRuki AU
1. File1Under The Moonlight

_**Legal Bla's**_: Characters belong to Tite Kubo. Story line is mine...

_**Mizu's Say**_: I know, I know...why am I posting another story when I should be updating the other ones? Well, this idea was bothering me so I decided to take a rest from my other stories and give this one a shot. I hope you guys enjoy it and let me know what you think.

I'm planning on making it some sort of horror fic, but I don't think I'm good at writing scary stuff...we'll see...

* * *

_** File #1-Under The Moonlight**_

* * *

The little girl now walking down the golden-stricken sidewalk was humming happily a tune she made up in her head. Usually walking alone through this path was scary, and she would never venture to do so alone, but this time it was alright. It was alright because of the person that was walking next to her, his hands stuffed deep into his pockets and a scary frown adorning his face. The orange sunset reflected almost blindingly on his hair, causing her eyes to wander from the path before her to the glowing mane-then she would trip and he would catch her wrist, preventing her from falling

"Are you alright?"-he would ask her, the scowl never leaving his face. The girl would nod, her eyes staring guiltily at him. He would nod back and continue walking, the girl slightly trotting to keep up with his long strides.

Suddenly, as the sun said its good bye and gave way to the silver light of the moon, the wind picked up rather fiercely, causing the small girl to hold on to her skirt. The guy next to her stopped, looked around, then looked down at her

"What is it?"-he asked, noticing the girl's shacking frame. The blonde child gulped and shook her head, her eyes wide against the warm wind. She gasped as she felt a warm hand touch hers, and saw the guys amber pools look into her green ones, a small smirk on his lips

_**Kurosaki Ichigo**_

"Don't worry, I won't let anything hurt you"-he assured her as he walked next to her, her small hands engulfed into his large ones. But even as she felt a wave of protection surround her, she couldn't help her body from shivering, although the wind was warm and humid. Heavy and constricting, as if it was trying to suffocate her, though her breath had left her long ago.

They continued walking, until the small girl suddenly stopped, her hands cold and clammy against the warmth of the other's hand. The orange-haired guy turned to look at her and found her looking around frantically

"We, we…we need to get out of here"-she stuttered, her words shaky. The youngster's face frowned

"What?"-

_**Kuchiki Rukia**_

"We need to leave, now, we need to…"- the words she was about to utter never found there way out as they were abruptly cut from the surprise of what her eyes saw. Behind the boy that had so nicely accompanied her, there was the monster, looking for her, again. It was forming through a heavy mist in the air, and its red eyes were staring menacingly and hungrily at her. Her lips parted in a silent scream, and the boy knelt before her, holding her shoulders

"Oi, what is it? What's wrong with you? Hey"-he was shaking her, trying to get an answer. She wasn't looking at him, and her green eyes were faded. The monster behind him stepped out of the mist, reveling it's serpent like body and its terrible white mask. One of its hands raised and lunged at the boy's back

"NOOOOOO!!!!"-she screamed and pushed the boy to the said, causing him to stumble and hit his head against a pole on the side of the street. The monster let out an angry cry and lunged towards the small girl, and all she could do was hide herself behind her arms

_**In**_

His eyes opened slightly, narrowing against the pain throbbing on his head. Blood was dripping from his brow and a low grunt escaped his throat as he tried to move, but found that he couldn't. He was slouched against the street pole, and the only light available was that of the faint pole light over him and the bright full moon.

"Hey…little girl"-he called out weakly, his voice hoarse. His blurry vision made out a large serpent like figure, and in front of the monster was the little girl, crouching in fear.

What made his eyes narrow, searching for recognition, was the slim figure standing between the monster and the small girl.

All he could make out was that it was a woman. She was wearing black boots that reached her thighs and a black skirt, which was swaying gently with the wind. Around her waist was a thick white sash, which ended on a bow on her back. She was also wearing a black leather corset-like blouse, and she had something strapped on her back. But what really caught his attention was what she was holding on her glove-covered hands.

It was a sword. It was long and it was pure white. The moon glistened against its white blade, causing him to narrow his eyes more against the light it emitted. He also noticed that everything around him seemed to be slightly white and very cold. The breath that left his mouth escaped in a white ethereal fog.

The girl before him lowered her blade more into the monster's skull, causing it to writher and scream in pain. It shot up, ready to leave, but the girl slightly and gracefully bent her legs and swung her blade. In his dazed and confused state, he could hear her soft voice

_First dance, Tsukishirou_

_**The Hunted**_

A white circle surrounded the monster, and in a second, it was incased within the thick ice. She thrusted her blade into the wall, causing it to crumble, the monster disappearing along with the ice. She stood straight and sheathed her sword on her back, the light of the moon reflecting on its blade.

The dim light of the pole over his head blinked several times before it gave out, leaving him in darkness. The girl walked up to the smaller girl who was sitting on the ground, shaking with sobs. The raven-haired woman bent down and caressed the girl's hair, which calmed the girl. The woman stood and walked over to him, her features hidden by the shadows

"How is he?"-she heard her ask, and only then did he notice another girl next to him, wearing the same clothes, only her sash was a different color, pink, and she had no sword on her back. Even through the darkness, he could see the auburn color of her hair

"He's alright; it was only a minor hit on the head. I can fix him up"-the girls voice was soft and slightly higher that the other. He noticed the girl before him sigh

"Good. I'll take care of the girl"-he saw her unsheathe her white sword again. He wanted to yell at her, to tell her to leave the girl alone. As if noticing his preoccupation, the girl next to him placed a hand on his bruise, and immediately he felt something warm take over him. His eyes were closing against his will and his head was slumping forward, but he also noticed the throbbing pain disappear

"Don't worry"-she whispered to him "That little girl will go somewhere safe now. She's safe, thanks to you"-

Before his eyes gave away to the exhaustion, he saw the raven-haired girl press her hilt on the girl's forehead. A white light surrounded her and, what was the little girl he used to walk with almost every day, now was a small bright light, reaching towards the heavens and disappearing within the silver trails of moonlight

The girl's dark violet eyes turned to his, and his world went black.

* * *

Likey? Let me know!!!!...e-cookies for everyone!!! 


	2. File 2 Meetings and Remembering

_**Legal Blah's**_: The characters mentioned belong to Tite Kubo

_**Mizu's Say: **_Thank you to those who left me their reviews! I appreciate it. Here is the second installment. I hope you guys find the characters...well...in character. Thank you for reading!!!!

* * *

_**File# 2: Meeting and Remembering**_

* * *

With a long, withdrawing gasp, Kurosaki Ichigo woke up with a start, his hair damp with sweat and his chest heaving. He sat up on his bed and ran his hand down his face, trying to pace his breathing. Looking around, he found his window open, the green curtain swaying slightly. He sighed deeply and looked at his watch. Any moment now, his friend would be calling him to go to school

"Oi, Kurosaki! Get your ass down here man!"-

Ichigo groaned as his best friends voice filtered to his room. He got up, pulling on his school pants, and walked to the window

"Shut up already will ya! I'm on my way"-he yelled back at the red-head, who grinned back. Ichigo slammed the window shut and was about to turn to look for his shirt, when a pair of feet made contact with his jaw, causing him to fall back into his bed

"GGGGGOOOOOOD MMMOOOOORNING IICHIGGGOOOO!!"-His father yelled with delight as his son tried to pry himself from under his weight.

"Get off me you asshole!"-Ichigo yelled, rolling his father of his back. He rubbed his jaw and kicked his father out while trying to pull on his shirt. Once he slammed the door to his room, he continued to get dressed, and then headed to the bathroom.

"Good morning Oni-chan"- his blonde-haired sister Yuzu greeted him as he silently took a seat at the table. Her raven-haired twin, Karin, sat before him, staring at the T.V. while drinking her orange juice. She acknowledged her brother with a small nod, which he returned.

Resting his head on his hands, Ichigo couldn't help feeling a bit off. He continued to rub his head absentmindedly. For some reason, he felt as if there was something there, or there had been something there, but all he felt was his short hair sticking at the end. He sighed again. He had woken up feeling as if he had been running for his life. He yawned widely as he sipped on his orange juice. Suddenly, all the orange juice in his mouth was sprayed out as a large hand smacked him on the back of his head

"What the…?!"-

"Did you just forget about me asshole? I'm out here waiting for your bum ass!"-

"Shut it Abarai! You can't just come in here screaming obscenities! Geez man, my sisters are here"- Both orange and red hair were face to face with each other, as they always were every time Ichigo forgot that his friend, Abarai Renji, was standing outside waiting for him. Yuzu smiled worriedly at the angry teenagers while Karin merely shook her head and sighed.

After shoving down breakfast and receiving a few more kick and punches from both his best friend and his father, Ichigo headed to school. His left hand was stuffed in his pocket while the other one carried his back pack over his shoulder. The warm morning breeze was comforting. The walked down the same path they always took to go to school and, taking a turn in a corner, Ichigo suddenly stopped

"And then she was like…dude, what's up?"-Renji turned once he noticed his friend wasn't following him. Ichigo was staring at a street pole, where a small flower vase stood at the bottom. He had placed that vase there several months ago for the little girl with green eyes. He looked around, frowning. Where was she?

"Hello? Earth to Ichigo. What are you looking for man?"-Renji asked, waving a hand before his friend's eyes. Ichigo blinked and smacked his hand away, scowling

"Nothing"-he answered as he started to walk away

"Psht, right. You seemed pretty distracted there. Hey, wasn't that the place where that little girl died over a month ago?"-Renji said after falling into pace with Ichigo. Amber eyes turned with a frown to look at his friend

"What?"-

"Yeah, I heard on the news that there was this girl who was killed in a drive by around here. Supposedly, they found her body slumped on that pole. It was pretty gruesome"-Renji slightly shivered at the thought of a dead body. Ichigo, on the other hand, deepened his scowl

"What did the girl look like?"-he asked, somehow already knowing the answer. Renji puckered his lips trying to remember

"Uh, she was this high-he brought his hand to his waist-and she was blonde, I think. What I do remember is here having very green eyes. My roommate was telling me that he had never seen eyes so green before"-Renji continued ranting something about eye colors but Ichigo wasn't listening.

That was the little girl! The girl he always used to walk with after school! But she wasn't dead. She was very much alive…right? She looked pretty solid. Although he had to admit, he had never wondered why a little girl would be always hanging around the same street pole at the same time. He never asked her about her parents or where she'd go after they reached his house. It was too much of a coincidence. Did he walk with her yesterday? He shut his eyes for a second trying to remember what he did after school but drew out a blank. A hand suddenly fell on his shoulder and, surprised, he opened his eyes

"Hey dork, are you trying to learn how to use your third eye? Watch were ya goin'"-Renji said as hey walked into the school grounds

"Shut up"-Ichigo replied.

School had never been something that had interested Ichigo. Classes were boring and the people here sucked, except for the few friends he had made. He had a horrible memory and often forgot the name of his own classmates, which made fellow students' think of him as an anti-social. But he didn't care. Ichigo would just lay back and read whatever book he was interested on at the moment, paying little to no attention to whatever was going on around him

His mind was still on the little girl and on what Renji had told him, that's why he didn't notice the girl that was running in his direction, and that's why they collided, sending each other to fall on their behinds

"Oww"-

"Uff"- Ichigo rubbed his sore but, his scowl even deeper than before. He noticed a small pencil roll next to him and looked up to find a raven-haired girl picking up the supplies that fell from her arms and muttering darkly under her breath

"What the hell? Watch where you're going next time"-he shot angrily. The girl before him pointedly ignored him as she frantically looked around for something. He sighed and got up, the bent down once he saw a small red cell phone with a small pink bunny hanging from it

"Hey, you lookin' for this?"-

The girl's head shot up and he saw relief etch around her face. She snatched the phone from his hand and held it to her chest muttering 'thank God' as she sighed. Ichigo frowned. This girl seemed vaguely familiar

"Thanks Kurosaki"-she said as she shouldered her bag. Ichigo's eyebrows shot up. She knew him?

"Do I know you?"-he asked. The girl looked at him dumbfounded, her mouth slightly open.

"Are you serious?"-she asked back. He scowled. Of course, he was serious; he could swear he had never seen this girl before. Realizing that the orange-haired idiot before her was not showing any signs of recognition, she snorted and shook her head

"Kuchiki"-she tried. Nope

"Rukia"-no, still nothing

"I'm in your same class dumbass!"-she yelled. Ohhhh, now he remembered her.

"Oh yeah, I knew that"-he said, looking to the side. She was about to say something else when a voice coming from the classroom called her name

"Rukia-san!"-They both turned to see a bubbly auburn-haired girl waving. Rukia smiled and waved back, adjusting her backpack. With a piercing glare at Ichigo's direction, she took off

"I was worried, I thought you were going to be late"-Ichigo heard the girl say. Rukia sighed as she pushed the girl inside

"I know, I know, but I was so tired. Come on, the teacher will be here any moment"-they went into the classroom and, after sighing once again, Ichigo followed suit.

How had he not noticed this girl before when she was sitting right next to him? The girl shot him another glare before returning to her conversation with the bubbly girl. Geez, he just helped her and she glares at him? Whatever happened to thank you?

"What the hell happened to you?"-Renji said as he walked up to Ichigo's desk.

"I bumped into someone"-he deadpanned. Renji smirked

"You're such an idiot. Into whom?"-his eyes followed Ichigo's thumb, which was pointing at the girl next to him

"Into Kuchiki-san? And you still have your head on?"-Renji laughed and Ichigo glared at him. He was feeling very sleepy and wasn't really in the mood to be Renji's laughingstock

"I couldn't remember her name"-he mumbled. That caused Renji to laugh harder

"Figures. I bet she thought you were some retard, seeing as she has been on the same class with us since our freshman year"-Ichigo groaned. Renji chuckled. His friend was a lost case

"How did you manage to walk away?"-

"That girl called her"-he pointed at the auburn head.

"Oh you mean Inoue-san?"-

"Damn it Renji, how is it that you, of all people, can retain the names of so much people?"-he said. Renji smirked sardonically at his frustrated friend

"I happen to be very good with girl's names, Kurosaki. I, unlike you, have a very healthy social life"-

"And I, unlike you, am not a sexually frustrated pervert"-Ichigo muttered. Apparently, Renji didn't hear what he said since he didn't reply. He looked up and saw the teacher walk into the classroom, calling for order. It was Literature, the only period Ichigo actually focused on. The teacher asked them to pull out the book they were reading (William Shakespeare's The Tempest) and asked if anyone remembered where they had left off. Ichigo saw the girl named Kuchiki next to him raise her hand. The teacher asked her to stand up and read the chapter aloud. He noticed, amusingly, how her eyes slightly widened and how her cheeks flushed a little. She stood up and cleared her throat. Her voice was soft and steady, and for some reason, Ichigo thought he had heard it before

"'O my dear father,' said she, 'if by your art you have raised this dreadful storm, have pity on their sad distress. See! the vessel will be dashed to pieces. Poor souls! they will all perish. If I had power, I would sink the sea beneath the earth, rather than the good ship should be destroyed, with all the precious souls within her.'

'Be not so amazed, daughter Miranda,' said Prospero; 'there is no harm done. I have so ordered it, that no person in the ship shall receive any hurt. What I have done has been in care of you, my dear child. You are ignorant who you are, or where you came from, and you know no more of me, but that I am your father, and live in this poor cave. Can you remember a time before you came to this cell? I think you cannot for you were not then three years of age.'" -

_...First Dance..._

"'Certainly I can, sir,' replied Miranda.

'By what?' asked Prospero; 'by any other house or person? Tell me what you can remember, my child.'"-

Ichigo shook his head slightly. He thought he had heard something. He looked around and noticed everyone staring at their books. He shook his head. Rukia continued reading.

"Miranda said: 'It seems to me like the recollection of a dream. But had I not once four or five women who attended upon me?'

Prospero answered: 'You had, and more. How is it that this still lives in your mind? Do you remember how you came here?'"-

_...Tsukishirou..._

"'No, sir,' said Miranda, 'I remember nothing more.'"-

A blinding light

A surrounding cold

The silver light of the moon

"Ok students, I want you guys to finish reading Mr. Shakespeare's The Tempest and by the end of the week I want an essay on the characters and what you think the story is about. Those of you who come close or actually know what the essence of the story is will receive full marks"- the enthusiastic teacher's voice along with the groans and protests of the students around him caused Ichigo to snap out if his reverie. He looked around, wondering if anyone noticed him spacing out. He frowned. What were those images that just flashed in his head? He tangled his fingers in his hair, trying to ease the headache that was slowly threatening to come.

The bell rang for lunch and Ichigo followed his friends to the roof, where they usually sat and talked. Since Renji was chatting away with Mizuiro and Keigo was recounting something he saw on T.V., none of them noticed Ichigo's eyes as the spaced out again

"_How is he?"-_

"_He's alright; it was only a minor hit on the head. I can fix him up"-_

There it was again. Those voices seemed so freaking familiar, but he couldn't recognize them for the life of him.

"_Don't worry"-she whispered to him "That little girl will go somewhere safe now. She's safe, thanks to you"-_

She was safe. Safe where? Where did she go?

Then those pair of deep violet eyes. The moon seemed to be reflecting on them, causing them to glow mysteriously. Had he seen those eyes before? Where?...

_**GYAAAAAAARRRRGH**_

"What the…?"-

Ichigo sat up straight once he heard the most horrible and terrifying wail in his life. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing and his breath was caught on his throat. What the hell was that noise?

"Hey, are you ok?"-Mizuiro asked him worriedly. Ichigo frowned at him. Didn't he just hear that?

"Didn't you hear that?"-

"Hear what?"-

Ichigo scowled. Was he imagining things? No, it couldn't have been his imagination. That wail was so loud and clear he thought he felt the ground slightly shake under him. He looked around. There were other students scattered around the roof, but no one seemed worried in the latest about an earsplitting roar.

_**RRRROOOOOAAAARRRGHH**_

This time he gasped and stood, looking around him frantically. Ok, that was definitely not in his head. He ran to the fence and looked down, where he saw more students lounging placidly under the cool shades of the trees.

"Ichigo, what the hell is your problem?"-came Renji's voice from behind him. Ichigo turned and walked to the stairs, feeling his friends eyes on him

"I'm going to the bathroom"-he said, and once he reached the stairs, he dashed down, not knowing exactly where he was going, but somehow having a slight hunch.

He ran out of the school grounds and into the park in front of the school. Whatever was making those horrible sounds seemed to come from there, and as if wanting to confirm, another air-splitting screech was heard from the depths of the trees. He ran, not knowing what he was going to do once he found whatever was making that noise.

He was reaching a small clearing within the trees and he noticed that there was an ethereal white fog hovering slightly over the ground. As he walked deeper into the clearing, he saw what seemed like small snow flakes surround him, dancing as in slow motion in the air. The breath that escaped his lips in pants was visible and he was shivering slightly. It was getting very cold. He stopped in the middle of the clearing. It was silent. Too silent

He turned sharply and found himself facing the sharp end of a blade. A pure white blade. The fog around him whirled around as if a strange force was surrounding him. However, the sight of the blade was not what caused his eyes to almost budge out of his sockets. It was the raven-haired girl with the black outfit and the flowing white sash holding the blade. The same girl he had ran into a mere hours ago

"Ku…Kuchiki?"-he muttered. Her violet eyes were wide and she seemed to be paralyzed. The stayed staring at each other, the white blade separating them, until a pair of red eyes formed behind the petit girl. A grotesque monster formed behind her and raised its claw to strike

"Look out!"-he yelled and grabbed the girl's arms, rolling to the side and successfully dodging the blow. The monster wailed again and disappeared into the fog. Ichigo opened his eyes and found the girl lying on top of him, panting. He would've blushed at the compromising position if she wouldn't be glaring at him

"You fool! What do you think you're doing? Get out of here, now!"-she yelled at him as she stood up and fixed her sash. She immediately gripped her sword and looked around. Ichigo grunted and sat up

"You know, this is the second time I help you and you can't even say thank you"-he muttered, rubbing his head. He also noticed how the girl before him had just blatantly ignored him, her eyes still searching the grounds. She closed her eyes and breathed out, standing still

"Oi, I'm talking to you!"-Ichigo stood up and walked towards her, but stopped once he noticed the fog condense around him. The wind was picking up, causing her white bow to flutter slightly. The long white sash at the end of her hilt pooled around her feet, seemingly glowing against the fog. Ichigo was beginning to feel something behind him, forming slowly. He could almost feel the monsters breath behind him. He felt it raise his claw once again, ready to impale him

"Gotcha!"-

Rukia suddenly turned around, her blade high over her head, catching the monsters claw in midair. Ichigo couldn't help shivering at the cold gust of wind that seemed to emanate from her. She was holding the katana with both hands; apparently, she was having some difficulty moving it out of the monsters skin. Ichigo saw the blood dripping from the monsters claw fall next to him and he made to move

"Do not move Kurosaki, you don't want the monster getting any ideas"-she said, her eyes on the creature.

"Right. Easy for you to say, you at least have something to defend yourself with"-he said, looking up. The blade was not budging and the monster was wailing uncontrollably. Ichigo then noticed the monster's other hand as it was preparing to strike at the small girl

"Watch out!"-

"Hadou #33 Soukatsui!"-she yelled, her left palm leaving the blade. A blinding blue light erupted and fired against the creature. It staggered back and dispersed- its wails still in the air.

Once the monster disappeared, the girl sheathed her sword and breathed out. The white fog and the cold air gradually thinned out, being replaced by the original warm breeze. Her violet eyes looked down into the amber ones that were looking at her.

"You…"-Ichigo began, but was abruptly cut as a pair of arms hugged the small girl before him, causing her to stagger sideways

"Rukia-san! Are you ok?"-Ichigo almost gagged once he saw Inoue Orihime before him, wearing the same black outfit as Rukia was, but with a pink sash. She was apparently examining the petit girl

"I'm fine, it's him we need to worry about"-she turned her eyes to Ichigo and Inoue followed. The bubbly auburn head gasped in surprise

"Kurosaki-kun! But…but how?"-

"Apparently he was able to hear the hollow when it appeared"-Rukia's statement seem to shock her more, since she gasped again, her grey eyes wide

"But that's impossible! He's just a human"-

"Hold on!"-Ichigo stood up and walked towards the girls. Inoue stepped back while Rukia simply crossed her arms and arched an eyebrow. He had been surprised (shocked, actually would be more of a fitting word) at the sight of the monster and all, but to hear these girls talk like they were aliens or something?

"What the hell do you mean 'he's just a human'? Then what the fuck are you guys supposed to be huh? And what in fucks name was that…that, thing you just blasted? And what did you do to the little girl I was with last night?"-Ichigo thought that if that Inoue girl widened her eyes more they were going to pop out. Rukia sighed exasperatedly and placed her hands on her hips

"We understand you may have a lot of questions but, unfortunately, we are not able to answer them"-she pulled out a small pez dispenser-looking device and pointed it at him. Before she pressed the small red button, Inoue placed a hand on hers

"Rukia-san, we used that in him last night remember? And look, he seems to remember what happened. Besides, we can't use that on him again so soon, it might cause him brain damage"-

"What?"-

"You're right"-Rukia sighed and lowered the device, putting it back in her pocket. She then looked at Ichigo straight in the eye, causing him to recoil.

"Alright, we'll answer your questions, seeing as you can see hollows and sense them as well"-

"Great, first of all, could you please explain to me what you guys are and what you were doing with that…hollow thing?"-He scowled, looking down at the raven-haired girl before him. Rukia sighed again

"I was cleansing. That's what it's called. That's what we do. We track down the hollows and we cleanse them"-

"We? Who are 'we'?"-He noticed the girls exchange quick looks before Rukia answered

"Bounty Hunters"-

* * *

I think that might be a small cliff hanger ne? Yes sir!

Please review!!!!


	3. File 3 A Simple Explanation

_**Legal Blah's**_: The characters mentioned belong to Tite Kubo

_**Mizu's Say: **_I want to sincerely thank those of you who have reviewed this story and to those of you who have read it, thus increasing my hits. I appreciate it! I really hope you guys enjoy this story since I'm trying to be as original as I can. To answer a few questions, I'm portraying hunters to be somewhat like shinigami's, only that they're not dead...you know. Anyways, please enjoy the next chapter and let me know what you think!!! Sorry for any misspellings, but it's 2:05 am here and I don't feel like re-reading much...heh.

Warning: Just some cursing from Ichigo...seriously, that guy is such a potty mouth

* * *

_** File#3-A Simple Explanation**_

* * *

To say he was confused was an understatement.

Ichigo had agreed to postpone the explaining for after school, since they still had a few more periods to go. After deciding to meet at Inoue's apartment, the girls returned to their school uniforms, which added another question to his long list.

They held on to a small skull charm hanging from a silver chain around their necks and immediately became surrounded by a dense gray cloud. Once the smoke dissipated, both girls were back in their gray skirts and white shirts. Ichigo simply sighed. This was going to be one hell of a long day.

So now that school was over and Ichigo was able to shake Renji off, the three of them sat at Inoue's small coffee table, sipping on jasmine tea. The two girls sat before him, one looking at him worriedly, and the other with a slight hint of annoyance

"Ok Kurosaki, what would you like to know?"-Rukia asked, crossing her arms before her. Ichigo scowled

"What do I want to know? Hmm, let's see, first I would like to know what the hell was that monster that just attacked me back there and who are you guys and what the hell are Bounty Hunters and where you guys came from? We can start with that"-he folded his arms and sat back, waiting for a response. Inoue glanced at her friend while the petit raven-haired girl sipped on her tea

"That monster that attacked you is called a hollow, as I stated previously"-Rukia explained, "I am Kuchiki Rukia and she is Inoue Orihime. Bounty Hunters are those in charge of cleansing the hollows and I came from Kyoto while Orihime-san was born here"-Rukia finished, answering the boy's questions. Ichigo glared at the girls smart remarks. He huffed and narrowed his eyes

"This is not the time to try to be a smart-ass Kuchiki. What do you mean by cleansing?"-Rukia sipped on her tea again

"To explain cleansing you need to understand what we Bounty Hunters do. We are an organization in charge of searching and destroying hollows. Hollows are spirits sent from the underworld and there only purpose is to eat the souls of those departed from their bodies."-

"The underworld?"-he asked, an eyebrow raised

"Yes, the underworld. Also known as hell"-she said. The calm and matter-of-fact tone in her voice made him uncomfortable. "The hollows can only survive in our world by consuming the earth bound souls. Our job is to get them before they do"-

"You mean kill them?"-

"No, we don't kill the hollows, we cleanse them"-she corrected

"What's the difference?"-

"Hollows are souls that were thrown into the underworld because of what they did on our world when they were alive. Whatever sorrow or pain they felt at the time of their deaths transformed them into those monsters. However, that doesn't mean they don't deserve to rest in peace. We are in charge of cleansing their souls and helping them pass on"-

"So, what you're saying is that you actually save hollows?"-he asked. The girls before him nodded.

"How long have you guys been into this?"-

"We've been Bounty Hunters all our lives, but we just got assigned into the field a year ago"-Rukia answered, refilling her now empty tea cup. Inoue was looking at her fingers and fiddling them around. Remembering something, Ichigo turned to the auburn-head

"How come you don't have a sword thingy?"-he asked, the girl looked up and smiled

"It's not a sword thingy, it's called a zanpakutou. Every hunter has an assigned zanpakutou depending on their abilities. I don't have one because I am a healer"-

"A healer?"-

"Yes. Each hunter is assigned a healer. While the hunter cleanses the hollows, we healers stand by and make sure that no one gets hurt in the process. I was the one that healed your head yesterday"-she beamed, apparently reliving the happy memory of healing a bump in someone's head. Ichigo scowled. How could this type of people be living around him all this time and he never noticed until now?

"Why is it that I just became aware of all these things?"-he asked. Rukia sighed and cupped her chin in her fingers in thought

"Well, normally only hunters are able to see and hear hollows and spirits because we have what we call 'awakened souls'. I can only assume your soul awakened because you had continuous contact with that girl"-Ichigo's eyes widened after hearing that statement. The girl?

"What happened to the little girl?"-

"I helped her pass on. Souls don't pass on if they're attached to something here, and that makes them hollow food. Aside from cleansing hollows we break the souls free from whatever is it that bounds them to our world"-

"And if there is anything they need to do before passing on, we take care of it"-Inoue chirped.

"So basically, what you guys do is fight these hollow things, help souls pass on and carry whatever task they ask you before they pass on?"-The girls nodded –"Why?"-

Both raven and auburn head turned to look at each other. "What do you mean 'why'?"-Rukia asked

"Yeah, why do you do all of this? What the purpose? I mean, they're souls, they're already dead so…"-

"Tell me Kurosaki, would you like to be hunted down by a monster after you die? After you spent your whole life thinking that once you die you'll be forever in peace?"-Rukia asked, her eyebrows raised with disbelief

"Uhhh…"-

"Of course you wouldn't. Besides, we do it to protect"-

"Protect whom?"-he spat, still not understanding these hunter's logic. Both girls stared at him with solemn looks. He scowled

"Protect everyone. Hollows eat souls, but that doesn't necessarily mean they need to be dead. They can also attack humans and eat their souls out, leaving an empty shell of a body. Our job is to ensure that the hollows won't hurt humans, therefore maintaining the balance of the worlds"-

"The what?"-

"The balance of the worlds"-she repeated exasperatedly "the human world, the spirit world and the underworld"-

Ichigo felt a vein pop on his temple. Worlds? Balance? None of this was making sense. He was finding it hard to believe. Ok, yes, he could see ghosts, and feel them and talk to them, but he had been able to do that since he was a little boy. He scratched the back of his head and looked away.

"So you're telling me that all those multi-dimensional theories are real? That there's actually more worlds that the one we live in?"-

"Yes"-Rukia answered, her arms crossed

"I don't believe you"-

"What?!"-Rukia smacked the table before her while Orihime simply sighed.

"I don't believe you. How can I? How can I believe that there are actually other worlds out there? How can I believe that there are monsters called hollows and Bounty Hunters? None of this makes sense"-He crossed his arms and looked away, a scowl etched on his forehead

"So you deny the existence of souls? Even if you're able to see them?"-Rukia asked. Ichigo nodded stubbornly. No, he doesn't deny it; he just doesn't want to believe it. Rukia and Orihime look at each other, the former sighing and the latter looking at the table.

"Well, if that's your final stance then there's no need for this conversation to continue. From now on I suggest you cease to interfere with whatever business we might have. I should be going now. I'll see you tomorrow, Orihime"- She stood up, taking her bag with her. Orihime merely nodded at her friend and stood up to follow her to the door. Ichigo stared at the raven-haired girl. They were whispering something at each other and they glanced at him. Finally Rukia left and Orihime stood at the door, waiting for Ichigo's decision. Taking the hint, Ichigo stood up and walked towards the door

"Uhm, well, thank you for…well, thank you"-he muttered, shouldering his bag. The auburn-haired girl smiled

"No problem Kurosaki-kun"- He started walking down the stairs when the girl behind him spoke again, causing him to stop

"Don't ignore it Kurosaki-kun. Only because they are no longer in a body does not mean they have no emotions"-

Ichigo turned, only to see the door closing with a small snap. He turned and continued walking, sighing deeply.

As he walked home, he saw in front of him the raven-haired girl. She was walking quickly and was apparently typing something on her small red cell phone. He took a deep breath and was about to jog up to her when a shrill cry filled his ears. For a moment, he thought it was another one of those hollow things, but this one sounded different. He heard the scream again, and was finally able to discern who it was

"It's a kid"-he said aloud. Ichigo noticed the hunter in front of him look around, apparently trying to find the source. She couldn't tell? It was so close.

"Hey, what are you waiting for? It's coming from over there!"- He yelled at the girl, the air around them getting denser by the minute. He noticed she looked a little out of place

"I can't hunt without a healer, it's against the rules"-she stated, her hands clasping the small cell phone tightly. Ichigo looked at her in disbelief

"Are you fucking kidding me? There's a kid in danger over there and you have that white sword and you're telling me you can't go there without Inoue?"- Rukia glanced at him, giving him a smoldering look

"What's wrong Kurosaki? It's just a soul, isn't it? It's already dead, so it doesn't matter, right? Wasn't that what you said when you denied there existence?"-Rukia crossed her arms before her chest, completely ignoring the ear-splitting roars of the monster and the blood curling screams of the child

"_Don't ignore it Kurosaki-kun. Only because they are no longer in a body does not mean they have no emotions"-_

How could he deny it? Did he really think that if he shut his eyes hard enough he wouldn't be able to see them or hear them? It didn't matter if he was alive or not, it was a child, he was sure of it, and he needed help. He grabbed Rukia by the wrist and dragged her to where he felt the small child screaming for help. Yes, he could _feel_ it.

"What the hell you think you're doing Kurosaki?"-Rukia yelled, trying to keep up with the orange-head's long strides

"We need to help that kid. If you need a freaking healer, then I'll do it, I'll heal you. Just…just help the damn kid"-they stopped abruptly at a small playground. The dust had surrounded the place and they could feel the presence of the hollow in the air. Ichigo caught a glimpse of something shinning through the dust. It was the kid and he was hiding behind a swing

Rukia was panting slightly and looking at the boy next to her. He had offered to be her healer? He could never heal her if anything happened. And if something did, and the agency caught wind of her cleansing without her healer…well, she would be in a shit load of trouble. Her brother's voice filtered through her head. She shut her eyes

"What the fuck are you waiting for? Go, now!"-Ichigo yelled at her, the desperation clear in his eyes. He was feeling helpless. If he could, he could've just done it himself. But he couldn't. The girl next to him took a deep breath and stepped forward, her hands on the chain around her neck

_Dance, Sode No Shirayuki!_

Just like before, the air around him turned cold, a white fog surrounding his feet. Before him, stood Rukia- once again wearing her black outfit and her white sash around her waist, which fluttered gracefully against the wind along with her short skirt. She pulled her long, white katana out of the sheath on her back and lunged forward. Ichigo couldn't see through the dense fog and dust, but from the chilling scream of the monster he could tell Rukia had once again defeated a hollow.

Once the dust cleared, Ichigo saw Rukia lean over a small black haired kid, who was sobbing against her leg. He couldn't help noticing how her usually cold eyes were now soft, and how her soft words seem to lull the child. She raised the hilt of her snowy blade and pressed it against the child. Shivering slightly, the spirit became a small beam of white light and disappeared, taking with him the cold air and the fog. Rukia sheathed her sword and walked towards Ichigo, who was scowling

"Tell me Kurosaki, do you still deny it?"-she asked, her eyes back to that cold and unreachable demeanor. He looked away

"Psht. Shut up"- Rukia smiled, knowing he meant yes. She changed back to her uniform just in time to see her friend run towards them

"Rukia-san, what happened? I got here as soon as I could. Did you…did you cleanse the hollow?"-she asked, looking around. Her grey eyes darted from Ichigo, who was looking away scowling, to Rukia, who had her arms crossed and was frowning, looking mildly bored

"Yes. Kurosaki here helped me"-Rukia answered. It was Orihime's turn to frown

"Help you? But, Rukia-san, if the agency knows…"-she started. Rukia placed both hands on her shoulders and turned her, walking away

"That's why you are going to say you were here all this time in case they ask, ok?"-

"You mean lie?"-Orihime gasped. Rukia rolled her eyes

"No, I mean alter the facts. Come on, let's go"-

Ichigo was about to go home himself, feeling incredibly exhausted, when a voice stopped him for a second time that day

"Hey Kurosaki!"-he turned to find Rukia with a grin on her lips

"Thanks"-she said. Ichigo mimicked her grin

"No problem"-He turned and waved, walking home.

As she reached the small apartment she shared with her brother, Rukia couldn't help thinking about the orange-haired kid and the look in his eyes as he pleaded her to help the kid. He looked…helpless. She sighed, hoping he wouldn't bring her too many problems

Ichigo laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling with his arms behind his back. His body was tired, but he couldn't bring himself to close his eyes. The image of that kid was still vivid in his head. The memories of that afternoon were also in his head.

"_Protect whom?"-he spat, still not understanding these hunter's logic. Both girls stared at him with solemn looks. He scowled_

"_Protect everyone. Hollows eat souls, but that doesn't necessarily mean they need to be dead. They can also attack humans and eat their souls out, leaving an empty shell of a body"-_

Hollows could also eat living souls. The hunters protected humans. He thought of his twin sisters. He had promised himself he would protect them no matter what. Wasn't that the same thing for the hunters? It wasn't hard for him to understand there reasons after all. They did what he wanted. They protected. Wasn't that what he wanted? He closed his eyes. Yes, he wanted to protect, although he had failed to do so 9 years ago, on that rainy night.

Drifting off to sleep, Ichigo failed to notice the telltale density of the air forming around his house, and the scarlet eyes peering through it

* * *

So Ichigo decided not to deny it. He can be such a doody head sometimes. The IchixRuki bond will start forming soon, and we'll get to delve more into the Hunter's world!!! Please review and e-cookies to all!!!! 


	4. File 4 White Moon Drags Black Sun Up

_**Legal Blah's: **_All characters here mentioned belong to Tite Kubo...even the Hollows.

_**Mizu's Say: **_Hello friends! Here is the 4th installment of this story. Thank you guys for your support! It took me quite a while to write this one, since I was trying to grasp the action as much as I could, so I hope I don't disapoint to much! Jiji...Oh and I love the title I chose for this chapter. There will be another chapter with a similar name, but kind of reversed...you'll see. Anyways, enough chatting and on with the story!...

* * *

_** File# 4: White Moon Drags Black Sun Up**_

* * *

With a tired sigh, Rukia opened the door to her apartment. Shedding her shoes, she walked towards her kitchen and pulled a glass, which she soon filled with water. Leaning against the sink, she drank her water, her eyes glued to the wooden floor under her feet.

The rules to the Hunters Associations were clear, if any human encountered a hunter and/or a healer, their memories were to be modified immediately. Rukia was very aware of the rules- having a brother like hers. However, at that moment, while her mind racked her memories, she was drawing a blank where it said in the book about what to do when you found a human who was able to reverse the effects of the memory modifier. Of course, there wasn't anything in the book about that. She sighed. If the base caught wind of Kurosaki Ichigo and his ability to see and hear hollows, they would probably want to investigate him. Therefore, it was her duty as a hunter and as a member of the elite Kuchiki clan to report this information to the base.

So, if she was fully aware of what she needed to do, why was she leaning against her sink in the dark kitchen, staring at the floor? Why didn't she go straight to the hunter's base? Her mind took her back to the first time she toured the underground base, and the first time she saw the Research and Development department. The sight alone of the captain of that department left her scarred enough, and that was without seeing all the stuff he was cutting open for "research".

"Just make sure you don't run into him much"-her brother had told her once she expressed her feelings about the captain to him. Rukia had noticed how her brother frowned continuously at the captain. Apparently, he wasn't very fond of the man either.

Rukia knew that if she took Kurosaki to the base, the first person who would put his hands on him would be that man, and even if she wasn't really acquainted with the orange-haired teen, she wouldn't want to subject anyone to that man's treatment.

The sudden burst of density and pressure in the air caused her to gasp loudly and to drop her glass, which crashed upon impact with the floor. Her azure eyes narrowed, searching for the source. Once she located it, another gasp erupted from her throat

"Kurosaki"-

* * *

Skidding to a stop, Ichigo raised his head as he panted. Blood was running down his left brow, causing his eye to close. There was a painful stitch on his side, making it almost impossible to stand straight. But he had to. He just had to, because if he didn't…his sisters…

The hollow had appeared and as sudden as it came, one of it's many tentacles darted across on of the windows of the house. Unfortunately, it was the window to his sister's room. The hollow had dragged his sisters to the street and would've ate their souls if Ichigo hadn't jumped him with a bat. The impact wasn't strong enough to hurt the monster, but it was enough to divert the attention away from his now unconscious sisters.

"Stupid old man, leaving us here"-Ichigo panted. Their father had left that same afternoon to Osaka for a medical conference. Although Ichigo had to admit that having his father here would've been more of an inconvenience than help.

As he wobbled up to his feet, the hollow shrieked angrily, waving his many tentacles around, smashing windows in its wake. Ichigo was having problems breathing due to the density of the air, which was thicker than he had felt before. _Is this thing, stronger than the others?_ He thought, his panting increasing. He looked around, finding the bat broken in half a few feet away from him. The monster found his sisters again, and was making its way to them. Ichigo darted towards the bat, ignoring the increasing throbbing on his side.

"_**So young, so tasty. You'll be my first tonight"- **_The hollow bellowed as it approached the unconscious form of his sisters.

"No they won't you son of a bitch!"-with all the strength left in him, Ichigo charged against the monster. Reaching to one of the tentacles on the floor, he thrust one of the pieces of the broken bat as deep as he could muster. The blood gushed out of the hollow's wound, causing it to howl and to turn to Ichigo. Exhaustion getting the best of him, Ichigo kneeled on one leg, his breathing becoming more constricted by the minute. The hollow raised all his tentacles against him, its red eyes peering evilly down at him

"_**You are one stupid child. You are going to pay for what you did!"-**_

"Go.To.Hell."-Ichigo panted, glaring at the monster. With an angry growl, the hollow charged at him. Ichigo closed his eyes

_I'm sorry, I couldn't protect them, like I couldn't protect you…_

"_SANTEN KESSHUN, I REJECT!"-_

Through his closed lids, Ichigo saw an orange glow surround him. Opening his eyes slowly, Ichigo felt a soft pink sash caress his cheek. His eyes jerked open as he recognized the black uniform before him- and the auburn hair flowing freely and glowing golden by the shield before her.

"Kurosaki-kun, are you alright?"-she asked, her eyes turning to him. He only managed to nod, as he saw the hollow pound mercilessly against her golden shield. Several cracks were appearing and he noticed how her legs were slightly shaking against the pressure. He tried to stand

"No, don't strain yourself Kurosaki-kun, you're hurt!"-Inoue yelled back at him, her eyes narrowed with pain

"Worry about yourself, that thing is going to break through"-He stood fully, still panting with pain. His eyes darted to his sisters, and he saw a similar golden shields above each one.

"I just need to hold on until Rukia-san gets here! Whatever you do Kurosaki-kun, don't step out of the shield"-she said, focusing all her power on her shield. The hollow was apparently growing tired, and started pounding on the shield with all of its tentacles

"_**A healer! A healer! Ohhhh how lucky am I!"- **_The hollow shrieked, its red eyes gleaming with anticipation. Its pounding had increased, causing Inoue to recoil under its pressure. Her whole body was shaking and Ichigo noticed her unsteady breathing. Where the hell was that midget of a hunter?

Suddenly, with a sharp gasp from the auburn-head, the shield suddenly exploded into thousand of small specks of golden light, leaving both orange-heads unprotected. No one moved in what seemed like an eternity. The hollow, having realized its victory, narrowed its eyes and swung one if its tentacles at the auburn-head, catching her in the stomach and sending her flying. Her back connected with a concrete wall and she collapsed on the floor, unconscious. The shields protecting his sisters disappeared, leaving them wide open. Ichigo couldn't move. He could only stare at the immobile figure of Inoue Orihime, her long hair sprawled around her and her pink sash strewn beside her. He blinked several times. Was she dead? Why wasn't she moving? Where the hell is Kuchiki?

The hollow, sensing the kid's confusion, turned to the unconscious girls. They were, after all, his favorite kind of target. Two of his tentacles shot towards their body, but didn't reach as they suddenly started to freeze. He saw the air around him grow cold and white. His eyes narrowed at the sight on front of him

"_**Hmmm, my my, this must be my lucky night. First a healer, and now a hunter"-**_

Ichigo's attention snapped forward at the mention of hunter. His eyes widened at the sight if the raven-haired girl, her white blade glistening as she held it high before her. She was standing before his sisters. However, the hollow didn't seemed fazed by the sword before him. It seemed to be sizing the hunter.

"_**You are very weak my dear. I've been against stronger than you, but you smell the sweetest of them all"- **_The monster snickered at Rukia, who frowned deeply, her eyes narrowed in concentration. She could sense this hollows pressure was stronger. It had to be the strongest she has ever battled against. Her eyes flickered towards the girls behind her. She couldn't hesitate now, the lives of these girls depended on her. She gripped her sword harder and assumed her stance. Bending her knees slightly, she attempted to strike at the hollow, her sword high over her head.

Ichigo saw with horror-filled eyes how the hollow shot his tentacles at Rukia, holding both of her arms wide open. His eyes widened at the sight of the monster twisting her sword-wielding wrist, causing a gut wrenching scream to escape her lips. With another of his tentacles, the hollow smacked her hard across the face, causing blood to drip from her lips.

Ichigo felt himself tremble. He was furious. He was beside himself and found himself unable to move with the weight of his incompetence. What could he do? He was hurt and he could barely move. But he couldn't just stay there. That girl, Kuchiki, had saved him twice, and here she was, risking her life once again for the sake of his sisters, and that was supposed to be his job. What could he do? What?

His eyes once again snapped wide open, to the point he felt a prickling sensation on the corners. The hollow had stabbed Rukia through the stomach with on of its tentacles. Her head snapped back by the force of the impact and he could hear her gasping for breath. With a maniacal snigger, the hollow withdrew its tentacle, eliciting a sharp cry of pain from the small hunter. Her blood splattered against the black street and it dripped slowly from her black boots. Her head hung over her chest, her eyes devoid of life. The hollow let go of her wrists, and she fell limply forward, her blood pooling around her.

Time seemed to have stopped around Ichigo. The light of the lampposts seemed to have become dull and the sound of the wind stopped. The cold air that was surrounding the area was fading, leaving a thin layer of white fog. He felt his voice catch at his throat. He wanted to scream, to yell, and to _kill_.

_Wake up, wake up you fucking moron! You're not dead, you can't die! Not here, not in front of me! Wake up, wakeupwakeupwakeupwakeupwakeupwakeup!_

"_**So weak, oh so weak. So sweet, oh so sweet!"- **_The hollow licked its bone-covered lips greedily as it began to descend over Rukia's limp body. A small whimper escaped from her lips and her hands twitched lightly.

"_**You're still alive? Well, I guess you're not that weak eh? Oh well, let me end you're misery here hunter"-**_

"Don't…don't you dare. Don't you dare…touch her"-Ichigo limped his way behind the hollow. Its eyes glanced behind him exasperatedly

"_**Hmm, you're still alive? I thought I was done with you"-**_

"Don't you dare touch her. Don't you dare"-he repeated, his head bowed and his eyes covered by his hair. The hollow narrowed its eyes, still glancing at the boy behind him.

Something was wrong here. The hunter's spirit pressure was diminishing slightly, but there was something increasing in the boy behind him. The air was condensing around him and there was definitely a black glow surrounding him. It was familiar. Could it be? Was this boy a…?

"_**You're a nuisance boy. You couldn't do anything before, and you won't do anything now. Why don't I just eat your soul so I can then finish off this little hunter and its healer friend?"- **_The hollow said as it turned towards the orange-head kid. Its eyes widened as the air that was condensing suddenly flared around the boy. Ichigo suddenly raised his head, and the hollow recoiled at the sight if his eyes. His amber irises had a black and red glint in them and they were fiercely staring at the monster.

"I said, don't you dare TOUCH THEM!!"-Ichigo bellowed. The air around him flared violently, surrounding him in a circle of black and red.

Before the hollow could react, the frozen tentacles, along with all the others, became detached of its body, leaving it with only the necessary to keep it standing. A screeching howl escaped the hollow, writhing around in pain. It stopped once it felt something stab through its skin. Looking down, it found the fierce eyes of the orange-haired boy. In his hand was a pitch-black sword, which was now digging deep into the hollow. The boy was scowling, but there was a grin tugging lightly at his lips

"_**How…how could you…what?"- **_The hollow choked as blood spilt out of its mouth

"Shut up"-Ichigo said. He gripped the sword tighter in his hands and swung upward, cutting the hollow through. It disappeared with a resounding howl. Ichigo turned, giving his back to where the hollow disappeared, and sheathed his sword slowly. He looked up to find the gray eyes of Inoue looking at him, her mouth open with surprise. She was slouched against the wall, having regained consciousness just in time to see the cleansing of a hollow by the hands of this terrible force before her. The pressure emanating from him was so strong she could barely breathe or move. She saw his eyes lose that fierce force and drop suddenly, his features becoming tired

"Please…save her"-he said, before he collapsed to the ground and returned to his former school uniform. The density around her suddenly vanished and she took a long gulp of fresh air.

Kneeling beside Rukia's body, Orihime couldn't take her eyes off the unconscious orange-head. He had a sword, no, not a sword, a zanpakutou. He cleansed a hollow with such ease. Her eyes lowered to her healing friend. She was so late. Why?

Releasing a heavy sigh, Orihime continued to heal her friend, wondering if any of this would go back to the agency

Little did she know that, a few feet from her, was a tall figure, his dark eyes narrowed at the scene he just witnessed. With a flash of his glasses, he disappeared against the rays of moonlight bathing the spot where he stood.

* * *

Ohhhh, I wonder who the nosy guy is!!! Well I know, but I ain't gonna tell ya!! At least not yet. So, Ichigo's powers are finally released...somewhat. But since we all know our beloved orange-head, things will not be as easy as he thinks! Stay in tune for more 'Ichigo has no idea what he's doing'!

Oh yeah, and review please!!!!


	5. File 5 The Rise of Black Sun

_**Legal disclaimer**_: I don't own Bleach...but you now who got pwned? That Aaroniero freak...hahahahaha

_**Mizu's Blas**_: I know, I know...what am I doing updating this when I have two other stories hanging? I don't know, but the plot bunnies are evil and I can't get rid of them glares at bunny on shoulder. Anyways, thank you to those of you who have read and reviewed!!! I appreciate it and I hope you enjoy this chapter!!!

* * *

**_File#5: The Rise of Black Sun_**

* * *

Inoue Orihime never thought that she would make it to the agency. Her family and friends constantly reminded her of her lack of will to fight, and had always suggested her that she would be better off being a healer. It was her personality, they would say. She wasn't strong enough to endure battle, let alone handle a blade. At first she wouldn't mind the comments. She was happy. She would learn how to heal and help those who required care.

But all of that changed once she entered the academy. Every single aspiring hunter or healer alike had the same goal: to become stronger and to fight to protect their loved ones. It amazed her, how everyone would just push themselves over the limit to overcome themselves. It confused her, the reasons why they would try so hard. Then, in the loneliness of her then unshared dorm, she found herself asking what she was fighting for. She wasn't strong enough, to be a hunter. She was just a healer…nothing more

Suddenly, on a bright summer day, her purpose on the academy changed dramatically. The change came in the form of a small, scrawny looking raven-haired girl with the surname of a noble. Inoue never thought she could become friends with such a lively and strong person, she would probably become a nuisance to her. So when said petit girl walked into her dorm and introduced herself and asked her if they could be friends, Inoue couldn't contain her happiness and surprise and flung herself over the little girl, causing her to almost fall back

Kuchiki Rukia had determination. Kuchiki Rukia had a goal. What Kuchiki Rukia didn't have, Inoue came to know some time later, was vulnerability. The girl with the violet eyes wouldn't flinch at a cut in her skin. She wouldn't hesitate to swing down her snow white blade. She wouldn't come back to the dorm and cry her eyes out when a teacher would scold her for doing something wrong (Inoue would do that every time).

Inoue Orihime never thought she would find someone who would be as fierce and as determined as Kuchiki Rukia

That was until she met Kurosaki Ichigo

What he did, on order to protect his sisters and save Rukia, was something she had never witnessed in her life. With just sheer strength and emotion, he was able to pull out a zanpakutou (it had to be that, what other blade could have that color!). She took a deep breath and continued to heal her friend, who had now regained some color on her cheeks. Her grey eyes were growing tired, but she still couldn't stop staring at the mass of orange hair lying a few feet away from her.

"My, my, this really is a problem. Ne, Inoue-san?"-

Inoue didn't even flinch at the sound of the voice behind her. She was used to him already- popping up suddenly and trying to scare the beegesus out of her (although he had been successful when she first started). Inoue simply sighed tiredly, her own back demanding attention

"Good evening, Urahara-san"-she greeted without turning. The clogs on the man's feet resounded on the empty street as he walked over to Ichigo, his striped bucket hat low over his eyes. He crouched next to the boy and poked his side with his cane

"Urahara-san, please don't do that, I haven't checked him yet"-Inoue pleaded, her eyes closed. The blonde man stopped his poking and walked up to the girls, crouching on the other side of Rukia. The golden glow of Inoue's shield reflected on his face, casting shadows over his half hidden eyes

"So, care to explain what happened here?"-he asked. Inoue meet his eyes for a brief moment before returning them to her friend

"I'm sure you know what happened, Urahara-san. There was a hollow and Rukia-san cleansed it"-she said, her voice just above a whisper. Urahara sighed

"It's not like you to lie, Inoue-san. Do you know what would happen if this information reached the agency?"-Urahara raised his eyes slightly to look at the girl's reaction. Inoue was frowning lightly, whether it was from exhaustion or worry or both.

"I…I need your help, Urahara-san. Rukia-san could be in danger if they find out because…because…"-

"Because?"-he coaxed. Inoue lowered her hands and the glow faded. Her hands gripped her skirt tightly as she bowed her head

"Because she was late. She wasn't the one who cleansed the hollow, it was him"-she pointed at the citrus-head, her hand shaking slightly. Urahara nodded, stood up and held is hat in place

"Very well, Inoue-san. I'll make sure everything here is taken care of"-he lowered himself once more, taking Rukia's small frame in his arms. A large man with dark glasses appeared behind him and carried Ichigo's body. A boy and a girl took Ichigo's sisters and placed them back in their house, fixing up the place as much as they could.

Inoue finally stood up and started slowly walking behind Urahara, wincing once in a while. Her eyes fixed themselves once again on the orange hair before her.

She wondered if one day she would be able to summon that kind of determination.

* * *

The rain. Now there was an element he could do without.

It was pounding fiercely against the ground, and the howling of the wind was so loud he couldn't even hear himself breathing. His eyes were narrowed against the bright light around him. What was this place? Was he dreaming? Was he dead?

He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. The rain and the wind were beating against his face and his exposed skin, but there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Nothing

He couldn't stop it

The rain

The guilt

"_**Ichigo"-**_

He turned sharply; his eyes now wide open against the bright and clear sky. He turned his head left and right, trying to discern his surroundings. There was building after building around him. All were as tall as skyscrapers, the color of a still blue ocean. The rays of light that protruded from the gray clouds above reflected on the windowpanes, casting ominous shadows around his feet.

"_**Ichigo"-**_

That voice again. He turned to the right, and gasped. In front of him, several feet away, was a man. He was standing on a pole, sideways. Ichigo gaped at the man's position. How the hell?...

"Oi…who are you? Are you the one calling me?"-although the man seemed far away, Ichigo didn't yell. He spoke as if the man was standing in front of him. He wanted to yell, he actually wanted to run over to him and pull him up, but he couldn't move. His mind went one way while his body went another. The wind was playing softly with the man's long black hair and with his ragged coat. Ichigo knew he had never seen this man before, but somehow, his presence seemed familiar

"_**I hate the rain"-**_the man said, his voice deep and low. It seemed to resound through the many buildings. Ichigo narrowed his eyes.

"Who are you?"-He asked, but somehow knowing he wasn't getting an answer. The man looked at him over his shoulder, and Ichigo noticed his eyes were covered by black shades

"_**You know who I am…Drag yourself up…Ichigo"-**_

Ichigo scowled. He then looked up to see the clouds moving quickly around him. It was going to rain again. The old man was staring at the sky as well. Ichigo sighed

"Yeah…I hate the rain too"-

* * *

"Onii-chan! Breakfast is ready! Hurry up or it'll get cold!"-

Ichigo woke at the sound of Yuzu's voice drifting through the house. He was lying on his back, staring at the ceiling, his eyebrows brought together by his usual scowl. He was getting a slight headache and he wasn't sure what day it was or of there was any school for that matter

"Onii-chan! Get up already or you'll be late!"-Yuzu's voice was a little more demanding this time, although he could almost hear the pout on her lips. She hated it when they served themselves cold breakfast. Karin was probably already there. He wondered if his father was back already

"Yuzu, Karin!"-Ichigo gasped, sitting up on his bed. He bolted out of his bed and down the stairs, skidding to a stop at the kitchen. His sisters looked up at him, Yuzu with a worried face and Karin with a questioning frown.

"Uh, Ichi-ni, are you alright?"-Karin asked hesitantly. Ichigo looked at the two of them, and his scowl reappeared on his face.

"I'm fine, are you guys alright? Did anything get broken?"-he asked, looking around his sisters searching for some broken bones or indications of assault.

"Uhmm, we're fine Onii-chan. There isn't anything broken. Now sit down and eat your breakfast, or you're gonna be late for school"-Yuzu said, setting the food on the table for her brother.

After eating his breakfast, Ichigo went back to his room to change, but not before looking into his sister's room. He expected to find a big hole or something, some indication that last night wasn't some sort of twisted nightmare. Instead what he found was the window as it always had been and what seemed like a fresh coat of paint on the walls. He wondered of those hunter people had something to do with this.

Walking to school with Renji yapping next to him, Ichigo couldn't shake the sense of foreboding rising in his chest. Memories of last night's encounter with that hollow were rushing back to him in flashes, piecing them together like an indie horror movie. He yawned widely. He needed some questions answered

"Hey carrot-top, what you thinking about?"-Renji asked, noticing his friends glazed over look. Ichigo glanced over to him, then looked forward, scowling

"Nothing, I'm just tired"-he replied. Once they reached the school grounds, each took their way. Renji yelled back at Ichigo reminding him to meet up for lunch.

The tangerine-head went up to his classroom, hoping to find the two girls there. He was positive they knew what happened, and he would make them explain. Sliding the classroom door open, his eyes widened at the view before him.

The warm and soft rays of morning light were filtering through the open windows, casting shadows through the many desks. Before the blackboard, Ichigo could see the dark silhouette of the petit hunter's profile. The light shifted from her hips to her legs, causing her skin to shimmer slightly. Noticing the figure at the door, Rukia turned her violet eyes at him, which were dark and glistening. He gulped

"Good morning Kurosaki"-she said, returning to the board. He regained his composure and walked to his desk

"Good morning Kuchiki"-He replied, setting his bag on his desk. Glancing at the clock on the wall, he noticed how early it was. He fixed his eyes on the girls back, a voice in the back of his head wondering if all the girls skirt was that short

"How come you're here so early?"-he asked. Rukia stopped erasing the board and moved to the teachers desk, replacing the already withered flowers on the base

"Classroom duties"-she replied without looking at him. He nodded. A heavy silence stretched between them. Ichigo's head was aching with unanswered questions- Rukia was dreading the questions he would ask. Why couldn't he just mind his own business? Why did he have to get involved?

"Kuchiki, I need to know what happened last night. What happened…to me"-he finally said, breaking the heavy silence. Rukia stopped fiddling with the teacher's notes and sighed. Her piercing violet eyes locked with his, and for a fleeting moment, he felt as if he knew her. He knew her from a very long time ago

"Kurosaki, I really don't know if I can explain properly what happened. From what I heard, you were the one that cleansed the hollow from last night"- her voice was strong but low, and only then did Ichigo notice how tired she seemed, although she was obviously trying to hide it

"But how? How did I get that sword? Where the hell did it come from?"-he asked, leaning forward on his desk. Rukia leaned against the teacher's desk, her arms crossed before her chest and her eyes downcast

"That's the part that confuses me the most. Zanpakutous are the materialization of your power and can only be summoned of you have an awakened soul. Your soul must have awakened last night, or it may have been already awake, but the hollow served as a trigger to release your power. What bothers me is that the agency hasn't noticed you yet"-she added the last thought in a whisper, speaking more to herself than to Ichigo. The orange-head teen was scowling at her words. He was a hunter? He had an awakened soul?

"So you're saying that…I should be able to summon that sword whenever I want?"-he asked hesitantly. Rukia looked up at him, her violet eyes locking once again with his amber ones.

"You have to"-she said sternly

"Why?"-

"Because you're going to be my substitute until my wounds heal properly"-she finished, her eyes still boring deeply into his. Ichigo felt his jaw drop and was about to retaliate, when the school bell rang and the classroom started to fill with students. They kept looking at each other through the oncoming crowd, until Rukia sighed closing her eyes and went to her desk.

It wasn't as if she was completely happy with the idea. Having someone else do what she was supposed to do did not sit well with her. She was expected to carry a job and due to her own weakness, she had involved a fellow student, who now had to fill in for her because of her incompetence. If her brother found out…she shuddered. The thought only made her cringe with embarrassment. Then there was the issue with the agency. He was not a qualified hunter. He had not been tested and approved by the proper channels of the corporation and, worst of all, he did not have a healer. Of course, Orihime could do the job, but that would be putting her at risk too. Rukia sighed inwardly. This kid was proving to be more trouble than he was worth

Ichigo couldn't concentrate at all. How could he, when he was just told by a pint-sized hunter that he would be her substitute and, apparently, he had no say in the matter? And to top it all off, he needed to figure out a way to summon that sword again. His mind took him back to the little memory he had of last nights fight. The surge of power he felt surround him and engulf him whole-it had felt so good. He felt as if he could do anything. The blade in his hand wasn't heavy, it actually felt as if he had held it a thousand times before. There was a strange feeling of familiarity as he pierced the monster with his black sword. The same feeling he had the first time he looked into the raven-haired girl's eyes. It was all too familiar. Why?...

"Kurosaki"-

The sharp voice aroused him from his daydream and he looked up to find Rukia frowning down at him, her eyes glistening strangely. He scowled at her, questioning her. She turned

"Let's go"-she said and walked out of the classroom. He noticed the vivacious auburn-head of her healer take off after her. Ichigo then noticed that the classroom was empty; apparently, everyone was out to lunch. Sighing, he stood up and walked out.

Ichigo found the two girls waiting for him outside the gates of the school. Orihime seemed to be in her usual sunny disposition, but he could see right through the smile and enthusiasm-he could tell she was somewhat worried. Ichigo wondered of these girls were getting themselves-and more importantly, him-into trouble

"What's up?"-he asked casually as he reached the girls. Rukia was looking into her small red cell phone while Inoue was eyeing Ichigo curiously

"You seemed to have healed well, Kurosaki-kun"-she chirped, her hands clasped tightly behind her back. Ichigo looked away and scratched the back of his head

"Uh, yeah, thanks"-

"No problem"-Inoue replied as the red cell phone snapped closed. Rukia fixed an icy glare on both of them

"Let's go, we don't have much time"-Rukia stated, sprinting away from the school. Inoue nodded, her face set, and followed her friend. Ichigo simply stared before walking behind them

After several minutes, they stopped before a small playground, which was attached to a small elementary school. The sounds of children's laughter drifted towards them as the wind picked up slightly. Ichigo scowled. There was something definitely off.

"Can you feel it Kurosaki? It's getting closer"-Rukia said ominously. Ichigo glanced sideways to look at the girls beside him. Inoue had her eyes glued on the small school ahead while Rukia was taking in her surroundings

"What are you guys planning to do?"-he asked

"There's a hollow here and you need to cleanse it before it attacks the souls of those children. Hollows usually like to gather around large groups of young souls"-The petit hunter replied. Ichigo clenched his fists on his sides

"And how am I supposed to manage that, if I may ask?"-

"Just try to focus all your energy into your hands and try to visualize your power. Or focus on something that might trigger your energy. Every hunter has different ways of summoning their spirit pressure"-Rukia explained, her eyes now narrowed slits against the heavy density in the air. Suddenly a loud screech pierced the air as their surroundings covered in fog

"Here it comes"-Rukia said before flipping back to dodge the hollows attack. Inoue jumped aside while Ichigo ducked, surprised at his own reflex. Although dodging his fathers crazy morning calls would have that effect on him.

"What are you waiting for Kurosaki, go get him!"-Rukia yelled from her overlooking position on a tree branch. Inoue was at it's base, a hand lingering worriedly over her heart. Ichigo scoffed

"Che, as if it were that easy. What the fuck am I supposed to do?"-he asked while dodging another blow. The small playground was deserted and in its center were Ichigo and the hollow. Somehow, he felt as if he was in some sort of coliseum and he was the main attraction.

"Try summoning your power!"-he heard Rukia's voice, somehow extremely clear through his constant dodging and panting.

Right, summoning his power. How did he do that again? It was kind of hard to try to concentrate when a freaking disgusting looking monster was trying to rip you apart. He tried to evoke the feelings of yesterday's fight. He was angry. The hollow was going to eat his sisters. He couldn't protect them. Then Rukia. How the hollow had stabbed her and thrown her like a rag. Somehow, that had pissed him off even more. That's weird, why would he be so mad? It's not like he knew the girl that well. Wait, what was he thinking, of course he would be mad, she was risking her life to protect his sisters. He owed her. Big time

"You fool! Watch what you're doing!"-

Ichigo hadn't noticed that the hollow had disappeared and appeared behind him. The shrill voice made him snap out of his reverie a little too late. The hollows claw dug deep into his right shoulder, causing his eyes to widen at the new sensation of pain.

Before his world turned black, all he heard was a loud intake of breath

"Ichigo!"-

* * *

The cold blue rain was mixing with the warm red blood on the dark dirt. The sounds of war and despair were fading gradually now that it was over, and everyone and everything around them seemed to be mourning their loses. His pitch-black sword seemed to blend with the ominous darkness of that cloudy day, while her snowy white one glowed against the obscurity, refusing to take part of so much sadness.

Her long plait of black hair was stuck to her cheeks and covering her eyes. Her once shiny navy blue eyes were now dull and faded. Her once pure white kimono was now tattered and splattered with blood, matching her crimson lips. The only part of her that was still untainted and pure was her blade. Her white, glowing blade

_"It's over"_-she said, her voice now icier than the pounding rain.

The man before her did not smile. He did not frown. He did not move. He simply held his black sword by his side, the rain caressing its darkened blade. His ragged coat flapped with the wind, mimicking his wavy hair.

_"Yes, it is"_-he said

Both stood before each other, not uttering a single word, both not making a single move. The rain dropped over them mercilessly, but they seemed unfazed. They knew. That was enough

"_We shall see each other again_"-she stated, not asked. A ghost of a smile appeared on his lips

_"Yes, we shall_"-he replied

With no words of professed love and undying devotion, both deities fell on their knees and unto the ground, their blood seeping through their countless wounds and melding with the pouring rain

The swords feel parallel to each other, and unto them their owners souls were passed

* * *

"Ichigo!"-

"Ichigo!"

_ICHIGO!"-_

Rukia didn't understand why she was screaming his name and running towards him as if her life depended on it. He was going to die, that was all she could think about, and it was all she could do not to pull out her sword and slice the hollow herself. With horror-filled eyes, she saw the hollows talon dig into his shoulder, and her mind immediately screamed it was all her fault. How could've she been so stupid? How could she believe that he was going to pull this off? Now he was going to die and she could just add him to her list of people she failed.

She was about to run into the dust filled scene when a wave of the strongest spiritual pressure she has ever felt surrounded her, causing her to fall to her knees and to widen her eyes in surprise. Was it the hollow? She couldn't see due to the damn dust

"You know, by the way you were screaming my name, I almost felt like you had no faith in me whatsoever"-

Rukia gasped at the sound of the cocky voice before her. Once the dust cleared, she found herself staring at Ichigo's back, now clad into a black coat, which was ragged at the end. Resting over his shoulder was a long, thin, daito-looking black blade, which had a broken chain at its hilt. She then noticed that the hollow was howling angrily and oozing blood from a deep gash on its mask

"Psht, you're so loud"-Ichigo said, and before Rukia could even blink, he was standing before the hollow. With one swift flick of his wrist, the black blade swept through the hollow, cleansing it effortlessly. Turning around, Ichigo rested the sword once again on his shoulder and stood before Rukia, an arrogant smile adorning his face

"You…you…how did you..."-Rukia muttered, standing up. Her legs were still wobbling slightly from the raw pressure that was emanating from the citrus-head

"I have no idea. I saw the hollow attack me, then it all went black. Next thing I know I have the sword in my hand, but somehow I know that I can call it out whenever I want. It's really weird"-Ichigo explained, looking at his sword curiously.

Rukia was about to speak when something, or someone, came crashing into Ichigo, sending him flying to the floor. Rukia frowned and tilted her head in confusion as Ichigo rubbed the sore spot on his behind. A feet from him was someone nursing a spot on his head

"Oi! What the hell!"-Ichigo yelled, a vein popping on his forehead. The person stopped the nursing and stood up, jogging up to the pair

"I'm…I'm sorry…hehe. I was running really fast and I guess I couldn't stop myself"-the kid scratched the back of his head apologetically. His tired-looking eyes were eyeing Ichigo in the same curious way Inoue would look at him and Ichigo noticed he was wearing a black outfit that looked a lot like his, minus the ragged coat. He started poking Ichigo around, apparently looking for something

"Hey, hey, stop that! What the hell man? Who are you?"-Ichigo smacked the kid's hand away, who looked up in surprise. He then smiled lightly and bowed

"I apologize Mr. Hunter-san. My name is Yamada Hanatarou and I am your healer"-he stated proudly in a would-be enthusiastic tone. Both Rukia and Ichigo stared at him dumbfounded

Ok, if slaying a hollow without previous authorization from the agency wouldn't bring them troubles, this definitely would.

* * *

Yay! Hanatarou makes an appearance! He so needs more love! I hope I get to write him IC enough since I think he's so cute!!!

Anyways guys...let me know what you think! Constructive criticism is always welcome!!!!


	6. File 6 Past and Present

I don't own Bleach...

**_Mizu's Bla:_** Wow, It's been a while huh? It seems my muses went for a walk in the park and decided to stay there. At least one of them paid me a visit. Anyways, here's this little thing I wrote in a whim, I hope you guys enjoy it! Some IchiRuki interaction at the end!!

* * *

**_File#6-Past and Present_**

* * *

The teacher sighed as she stood before the blackboard, chalk in hand. She started tracing on the board slowly, making sure the traces were defined and straight. She glanced at the nervous student next to her and sighed again.

"Yamada Hanatarou. It's an honor to be of your acquaintance" he said, rather enthusiastically, and bowed at the students. The light sounds of giggles and chuckles drifted through the room and caused the sweat to roll down his forehead as he stood straight again. He smiled ruefully and placed a hand behind his head. The teacher rolled her eyes

"Yamada Hanatarou huh? That's quite the complicated name you got there" Said student looked at her worriedly, shaking his head

"Ah, no, no, my name is nice and simple and easy to remember…at least, that was what I was told" he added as an afterthought.

The raven haired kid looked around the students, his eyes searching the sea of students frantically. His search was short though, since there was only one student in the classroom-and probably the whole school-with that kind of hair color. Hanatarou waved his arms enthusiastically at said orange-head, trying to catch his attention.

"Ah, good morning Ichigo-san!" he literally screamed, causing the whole student body to look back at said kid. Ichigo groaned and slid further under his chair, hoping it would help him become less noticeable. Next to him two girls giggled and chuckled.

"Oh Yamada-san, you know Kurosaki?" The teacher asked intrigued that someone would be acquainted with the orange-haired punk. Hanatarou nodded energetically and continued waving at his newly appointed hunter. The teacher smiled and returned to her desk, picking up her attendance book

"Very well Yamada-san, luckily for you there's an available seat behind Kurosaki-san, so go ahead and take a seat" she gestured with her hand at said place, her eyes never leaving the book. Hanatarou smiled and bowed, thanking the teacher for her hospitality and sprinted to the seat, causing his hunter to cringe

"Isn't this lucky Ichigo-san?! We get to sit close to each other! That's so cool! I'm so excited! And I'm near Kuchiki-san and Inoue-san!" Hanatarou squeaked, his eyes watering at the prospect of being so close to such elites. The girls grinned at him empathetically while Ichigo merely continued to growl and grump in his chair.

Lunchtime came and Ichigo couldn't have darted out of the classroom sooner. The ambient of the room had suddenly become suffocating with the presence of a perky healer, a grumpy midget of a hunter and a crazy overenthusiastic partner. He walked out into the grounds, but turned around and headed for the stairs instead, thinking that it was less likely for people to harass him in the roof. He sat down and leaned against the fence, closing his eyes briefly reveling in the warm breeze around him and the tranquility of the lonely roof. He sighed…which was cut short by a soft thump next to him

"Were you trying to run away Ichigo?" He cracked open one eye to find himself sitting next to Rukia who was digging into her small bento, Inoue who was happily sipping her juice and Hanatarou, who was dreamily staring at Ichigo with an open onigiri in his hands. Ichigo grunted and sat straight, frowning

"What are you guys stalking me or something?" he grunted, scratching the back of his head. Rukia cast him a sideways glance as she chewed a fried shrimp.

"Ichigo, we need to deal with this issue" she said sternly, looking at the daydreaming kid in front of them, who was currently sampling some of Inoue's cooking. Ichigo sighed, grabbing his own bento

"What do you mean 'we'? This kid is one of you so, you deal with him" he replied nonchalantly. Rukia sighed

"You're one of us to Ichigo, remember? Besides, the whole reason he's here is because of you. Apparently he's your healer"

Ichigo sat silently chewing his lunch, looking at the short-haired kid, who was now gagging at Inoue's cooking. This scrawny little thing was his healer? How could that be? Furthermore, he wasn't an actual hunter, so how could he have a healer?

"Was he sent by the agency? How would they know about me?" Rukia slowed her chewing as she thought about this, then resumed her pace as she answered

"Healers normally are connected to their hunters. The base simply recognizes this connection and pairs them up. Since you do not belong to the agency, I assume Hanatarou searched for you by himself" Ichigo forcefully swallowed the food in his mouth and darted forward, startling the healers before him

"You came looking for me by yourself? What are you insane?! What if those people come looking after you? Or me?!"

"Ah? Oh don't worry Ichigo-kun, it's all right. I'm under the surveillance of Captain Unohana Retsu, so you have nothing to worry about" Hanatarou quipped, sipping his juice. Ichigo's brow twitched

"And who the hell is Unohana whatshername?!"

"Unohana Retsu" came the calm voice of Inoue "Is the captain in charge of the healers. She's the one that looks into the reiatsu connections between healers and hunters. We healers have to report everything we do to her"

"Hmm…since its Unohana taichou then I guess we're ok for now" Rukia muttered, her chin cupped between her fingers as she thought. Ichigo scowled

"We're ok for now? What do you mean? Isn't it a bad thing that your base knows about me?" Ichigo bellowed, still confused by these people's calm attitude.

"It's ok because Unohana taichou is the only reasonable captain there, so she may cut us some slack" Rukia mused

"She may?" Ichigo asked incredulous. The petit hunter was about to reply when she was interrupted by the tell-tale scream of a nearby hollow. The four of them turned to look at the source of the noise which was coming from a nearby empty lot. The girls immediately switched to their black outfits and darted towards the hollow. Hanatarou followed suit, but stayed behind, looking at Ichigo worriedly

"Come on Ichigo-san, hurry up and change" he said. Ichigo blinked

"Uhh…I don't know how to. I don't have that skull thingy they have"

"You…you don't?" Hanatarou asked incredulously, eyeing him worriedly. Ichigo shook his head. The hollow screeched once again and they heard Inoue's voice from the distance

"Kurosaki-kun!! Please. Help! Rukia-san…Rukia-san is…"

Without thinking about it twice, Ichigo darted down the stairs and out the school. At the thought of Rukia being in danger, something inside him stirred in anger and desperation. He skidded to a halt behind the auburn haired healer, who jumped slightly at his presence

"Kurosaki-kun!"

"Where is she? Where's Rukia?" he nearly screamed. The girl pointed towards the raised dust. Without a second glance to the girl next to him, Ichigo bounded towards the battlefield.

Rukia was on one bended knee, putting her weight against her snowy blade. A thin film of sweat covered her forehead and she was panting heavily. The hollow was a few feet away from her, withered in pain and howling agonizingly. It seemed that she was able to hurt him

"Rukia!" Ichigo darted towards her and helped her up. Her face seemed paler than usual and her breathing was ragged. She grabbed onto his sleeve for support as she steadied herself

"I'm…I'm fine, I'll handle it"

"What are you stupid? You can barely stand!"

"Do you have a better idea fool?"

They stared at each other for a moment before Ichigo rolled to the side with Rukia to prevent a blow from the hollow. Rukia opened her eyes to find Ichigo standing before her with a defiant stance.

"Ichigo!" she called out

"You're still week from that last time so just stay there and stop being so annoying" he looked back at her with a smoldering look that caused her eyes to widen

"I'll take care of it"

Rukia's eyes soften as she nodded. Ichigo turned back to the hollow and closed his eyes, searching for that power from within him like the last time. That overwhelming sense of being able to do whatever he wanted. He felt the cold pommel forming around his clenched fist and the gentle swish of the black coat around him

--

_The feel of the dark steel in his hands was overwhelming. It was everything he had wanted and yet, everything he dreaded. He knew that, by gaining this power, war would ensue, and he would have to face the one he would die for_

"_So, you finally have it"_

_Her voice was soft and melodious like that of the wind that drifted through the window. She wore white silk that glowed against the black of her long hair. Her sharp azure eyes were narrowed at his back and the white blade glistened in her hands._

"_Yes" He answered simply, not turning to see her. The soft wind picked up and rustled the transparent curtains, along with their hair and attire. Her soft sigh was lost within the incoming wind. She closed her eyes_

"_It's starting isn't it? The battle that will end all battles"_

_In a swift movement, the tip of his black blade caressed the milky contour of her neck-an action that didn't cause even a flinch from the snow lady. Their piercing gazes locked with one another, their eyes speaking more than words ever could_

"_With this blade I swear to protect you until my last breath" he suddenly whispered. Her eyes widened a little, but softened immediately followed by a small smile. Her hand enveloped his as the both grasped the black blade_

"_Fool, you'll be murdered for uttering such words" she whispered. He leaned closer_

"_Then I shall receive such consequence with open arms"_

--

It felt as if he had just woken up from a daydream or a coma. He had no memory of how or when he defeated the hollow, all he could register at the moment was the fact that he was crouching before Rukia, her hand tightly grasped in his and they were close. Too close

"I…Ichigo" she called out softly, her breath tickling his cheek. He blinked once, twice, took a couple of breaths that were accompanied with Rukia ragged ones. Their lips were parted slightly and it would only take a small movement to close the distance between them.

"Ichigo-san, Rukia-san! Are you alright?"

Hanatarou's voice shook Ichigo out of his reverie with a gasp and he lurched back, landing on his behind. He let go of Rukia's hand who took it back immediately. They were both blushing furiously and weren't looking at each other as the healers approached them. Inoue started checking over Rukia immediately while Hanatarou helped Ichigo to his feet

"Wow Ichigo-san that was amazing! You're reiatsu is huge and very powerful. It does need some tweaking but nothing we can't work with. And the way you took out that hollow…it was just…just…"

"Yeah" he said absentmindedly, looking after the petit raven haired girl that was currently being taken home by her friend. He sighed and went to scratch an itchy spot in his neck, when he felt something under his shirt. It was a chain with a skull charm, the same Rukia and Inoue had.

He stared at Rukia's direction again, wondering what the hell had that vision been, and if she had seen the same thing.

* * *

Well there you have it. A little cliffy. There's a lot of stuff I need to go over with this one, but for now I have to focus on getting back to **_You Think You Know_** and _**Chronicles of a Secret**_...Oh God I've neglected those for so long...hehe well let me know what ya'll think alright!


End file.
